Gays And Lesbians

I learned something new in the June 24 paper. Despite being a proud and well-educated lesbian my whole life, I never knew that I had super powers. A lovely letter to the editor let me in on a secret. Not only do gays and lesbians have the ability to change weather patterns and ruin lives, the mere tolerance of us causes flooding, tornadoes and even a bad economy. This is so awesome. Wait until my friends at the Gay Straight Alliance meetings hear about this! Jaimie Schock Walnutport

Fred Phelps, the founder and leader of the "God hates fags" Westboro Baptist Church, has died. Some have suggested that there should be hate-filled protests at his funeral, but I would thank him for showing America the ugly result of hate. Most people were shocked to see young children holding signs that started with the words "God hates. " That is not what most people want to teach children to do. He has been protested most places where he protested, and the counterprotests have helped to educate and change America.

In his Aug. 18 column, Paul Carpenter condemned Aug. 15's Gay Pride Festival as an irrational waste of energy. Its participants, he insists, shouldn't take pride in their homosexuality because they can't claim credit for it; no skill or effort has produced it. Carpenter thinks pride is appropriate not for who we are by nature but only for exceptional things we accomplish. Actually it's not achievements alone that justify feeling proud. The American Heritage Dictionary defines pride as "a sense of one's own proper dignity or value; self-respect.

To the Editor: Thank you for the Aug. 20 story, "Same-sex pairs add up," updating your readership regarding the latest Census Bureau figures. While the numbers are still very much under-reported, the figures present a clear call to area churches, synagogues and other religious institutions to fully include gays and lesbians in their congregations. We gays and lesbians are indeed your neighbors. And we may be your teacher, student, mechanic, doctor, accountant, union member, architect, nurse, firefighter, business owner, cashier, congregant or pastor.

A small group of gays and lesbians found out Wednesday just how much protection they have under the law against discrimination in the workplace: next to none. About 20 people turned out for a seminar sponsored by the Lehigh Valley Gay and Lesbian Task Force. After a review of law, Bethlehem attorney Anne Felker urged the group to work within the larger picture of workers rights, such as the creation of "just cause" rules to cover workplace firings, a function often formed by labor unions.

The writer of the May 25 letter, "A single-minded approach to gay marriage," seems not to realize that millions of gays and lesbians are members of Christian churches. Also, millions of members of Christian churches who are heterosexual feel that gays should have marriage equality. There are Muslims, Jews, Hindus and people of all faiths and denominations who feel that gays should have marriage equality, as well as many conservative politicians. I am gay and I belong to a Christian church.

Imagine the audacity of so-called Christian groups bashing state Sen. Charlie Dent because he didn't follow the mainstream of closed-minded Republicans and instead supported a hate crimes bill that included protection for gays and lesbians. If these narrow-minded zealots were true Christians they wouldn't feel the need to fret over facing penalties for such crimes. Hypocrites! Kudos to Sen. Dent for not being a "moral" Republican! Scott Krause Bethlehem

To the Editor: The most virulent form of bigotry is that which comes cloaked in religious righteousness. Columnist Michael McManus chose the weekend set aside to honor Martin Luther King Jr. to spread his bigotry against gays and lesbians. The Morning Call collaborated by publishing his filth. The rumbling you hear is Martin turning over in his grave. Michael Parry Allentown ---

A bill to add sexual orientation to the protected classes under Allentown's human relations ordinance will be introduced at the April 1 City Council meeting. Councilman Frank Concannon told the Allentown Human Relations Commission Friday he will present legislation that would protect gays and lesbians from discrimination in employment, housing and the use of public facilities. Concannon, the only council member to publicly support the initiative, told the commission he is confident that another council member will co-sponsor the legislation.

As I watched a parade of states add marriage discrimination to their respective constitutions, I was struck by the irony. Particularly evident in California was the overwhelming role of organized religion in lobbying for the ban. So much for the separation of church and state! The gross irony is that gays and lesbians aren't looking for religious freedom to marry; we already have it. There are many religions where I can be wedded to my partner. And with the proper conditions, I can even get some religions that ban a gay wedding to perform a "Celebration of Love and Commitment."

I learned something new in the June 24 paper. Despite being a proud and well-educated lesbian my whole life, I never knew that I had super powers. A lovely letter to the editor let me in on a secret. Not only do gays and lesbians have the ability to change weather patterns and ruin lives, the mere tolerance of us causes flooding, tornadoes and even a bad economy. This is so awesome. Wait until my friends at the Gay Straight Alliance meetings hear about this! Jaimie Schock Walnutport

Today, Beth Goudy and Carol Stevens celebrate their first wedding anniversary. But Monday, Goudy, pastor of Metropolitan Community Church of the Lehigh Valley, was at the Capitol with about 100 gay, lesbian and straight Pennsylvanians to protest a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and civil unions. A 12-year-old state law bans her union, but Goudy says she's married to Stevens, a registered nurse. "It was a marriage," said Goudy, whose Allentown congregation is made up mostly of gays, lesbians and the transgendered.

By Rev. Elizabeth Goudy, Special to The Morning Call -- Freelance | March 24, 2007

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Peter Pace recently was quoted as saying that homosexual acts are "immoral" and that he supports a continued ban on openly gay men and women serving in the military. Gen. Pace's words are not only incorrect, they are divisive and unsuitable for a leader of a diverse military. Homosexuality is not immoral. Terrorism is immoral. Torture is immoral. The growing refugee crisis in countries neighboring Iraq is immoral. Putting U.S. citizens at risk by discharging more than 10,000 troops including 322 linguists under the military's antiquated anti-gay policy -- that is immoral.

They're here, they're queer and Sovereign Bank wants them to open checking accounts. The 13th Annual Pride in the Park, which celebrates gays, lesbians and transgendered people, was held Saturday in Allentown with sponsorship from an increasing number of local and national firms. The top sponsor was Sovereign Bank of Philadelphia, which gave $5,000. Bank of America gave $2,500, and Starbucks, the Seattle coffee chain, provided $1,000 and free java. It also was heavily recruiting "barristas" for its soon-to-open Lehigh Valley branches.

The message on the answering machine came after I had already waded through a stack of e-mail -- positive and negative -- about last week's column on same-sex marriage. In that column, I argued against an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution that would permanently ban same-sex marriage and civil unions. The state already has a law defining marriage as between a man and woman. The voice on the telephone message had a deep, salt-of-the-earth quality of an older man. He identified himself as Bill Lunn of Hereford.

As I watched a parade of states add marriage discrimination to their respective constitutions, I was struck by the irony. Particularly evident in California was the overwhelming role of organized religion in lobbying for the ban. So much for the separation of church and state! The gross irony is that gays and lesbians aren't looking for religious freedom to marry; we already have it. There are many religions where I can be wedded to my partner. And with the proper conditions, I can even get some religions that ban a gay wedding to perform a "Celebration of Love and Commitment."

I look with amazement at what prejudice and bigotry can do here in Allentown. City Council extended the anti-discrimination ordinance to cover gays and lesbians and approved it, 5-2, on April 3. Part of the proof that this discrimination exists is the vicious petition process designed to take away these rights. The petition is opposed by our congressman, his opponent, both of our state representatives, our mayor, our Lehigh County executive, our police chief and Allentown Human Relations Commission's president.

By Amy Longsdorf Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | June 30, 2005

Lust and anger will steam up the screens at the 11th Annual Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, as filmmakers grapple with alienation, prejudice and modern romance. The Festival, which opens next Thursday, is always adventurous, but this year's crop of features is distinguished by some dark visions. The titles alone tell the tale: "Hate Crime," "Hardcore," "The Aggressives" and "A Year Without Love." There are "Happy Endings" too, with comedies ranging from "The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green" to "Beverly Kills."

Junior Joel Roney was appalled to hear a well-respected local Muslim say he was racially profiled on a return flight from a family wedding in Scotland because his first name, Mohamed, was considered a red flag. Junior Kristen Greaney was saddened to learn about the war-ravaged people of Sudan struggling for basic needs such as food, water, clothing and shelter. Freshman Ian Benner, after attending a workshop about bias against gays and lesbians, plans to choose his words more carefully.